Club for Growth

Club for Growth is a right-wing political group that endorses and raises money for candidates. According to a February 22, 2011 article by John Nichols in The Nation, the Club for Growth is "an organization funded by extremely wealthy conservatives to carry out their budget-stripping goals," and that "has been a key player in Republican Governor Scott Walker's move to take out the state's organized workers." Nichols writes that the Club for Growth is part of a "national strategy" to get "newly elected Republican governors" to destroy labor and unions. R.J. Johnson, who served as a political strategist for Walker's campaign, is a key adviser to the Club for Growth. Johnson has refused to disclose where the Club for Growth gets its funding. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune in a February 26, 2011 editorial described the Club for Growth as an "ultra-rich special interest itself."

Protests in Wisconsin in 2011 over Plan to Eliminate Public Unions
On February 18, 2011, Wisconsin State Representative Gordon Hintz (D-54th) stated in floor debate that he heard a radio ad paid for by the Club for Growth prior to the bill even being distributed to members. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZsOKNfNkfQ, marking Club for Growth's involvement into state level anti-Union activities.

2010 Midterm Elections
Club for Growth invested in a variety of campaigns in the 2010 midterm election season. The group has also established local spinoff political groups so their anonymous donors can direct their funds towards specific races. For example, Club for Growth has established a Wisconsin chapter to support Republican Congressional and Gubernatorial candidates.

Club for Growth conducts its activities through its 527 Political Action Committee (deemed a "super PAC" by the Washington Post), and its 501(c)(4) Club for Growth Action committee. For the 2010 midterm election, Club for Growth indicated that it intended to take advantage of the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and raise unlimited funds from corporations and other deep-pocket donors.

Despite being allowed to raise unlimited funds, Club for Growth's 501(c)(4) wing is not required to disclose its donors, and the Super PAC wing need not disclose until after the 2010 midterm elections are completed.

The group supports far-right Republican candidates, spending money to not only oppose Democrats, but also moderate Republicans they deem "RINOs" (an acronym for Republican In Name Only). Some within the Republican party dislike the Club; Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor and Republican Presidential Candidate (and current FOX News host), says the group should be called the "Club for Greed."

"Privatize Social Security? Hell Yeah!"
One of the Club's campaigns focuses on privatizing social security, an issue many Republicans fear. Democrats have tried to capitalize on the issue.Club For Growth is spending [$6 million?] in the 2010 midterm elections, and has distinguished itself through its bellicose call for social security privatization entitled "Social Security Privatization? Hell Yeah!"

The Club accomplishes its mission by raising money through its political action committee and donating it to candidates that adhere to this vision. It also solidifies its clout through independent expenditures through a separate 527 committee. The Club’s PAC also acts as a conduit for federal candidates by accepting and transmitting earmarked contributions from the club’s many members to federal candidates.

Club for Growth PAC Endorsed Candidates

 * David Harmer (CA-11)
 * Keith Rothfus (PA-04)
 * Andy Harris (MD-01)
 * Nan Hayworth (NY-19)
 * Jesse Kelly (AZ-08)
 * David Schweikert (AZ-05)
 * Joe Miller (AK-Sen)
 * Tim Griffin (AR-02)
 * Todd Young (IN-09)
 * Stephen Fincher (TN-08)
 * Ken Buck (CO-Sen)
 * Mick Mulvaney (SC-05)
 * Rand Paul (KY-Sen)
 * Ron Johnson (WI-Sen)
 * Sharron Angle (NV-Sen)
 * Justin Amash (MI-03)
 * Mike Pompeo (KS-04)
 * Tim Huelskamp (KS-01)
 * Tim Scott (SC-01)
 * Jeff Duncan (SC-03)
 * Tom Graves (GA-09)
 * Pat Toomey (PA-Sen)
 * Marco Rubio (FL-Sen)
 * Mike Lee (UT-Sen)
 * Jim DeMint (SC-Sen)
 * Tom Coburn (OK-Sen)

2010 Expenditures
==== Independent Expenditures (as of September 30, 2010) ====

Race      Candidate         Party     Support/Oppose  Expenditures

GA-9 	    Tom Graves  	R  	Support  	$9,621.00 GA-9 	   Lee Hawkins 	R 	Oppose  	$114,131.00 KS-1 	   James A. Barnett 	R 	Oppose  	$110,662.00 KY-Senate  Rand Paul 	        R 	Support 	$11,115.00 MI-3 	   Justin Amash 	R 	Support 	$7,908.00 MI-3 	   Bill Hardiman 	R 	Oppose  	$125,727.00 NV-Senate  Sharron E. Angle 	R 	Support 	$247,218.00 NV-Senate  Sue Lowden 	        R 	Oppose  	$238,458.00 NY-23 	   Doug Hoffman 	3 	Support 	$340,450.00 NY-23 	   Bill Owens 	        D 	Oppose   	$137,818.00 NY-23 	   Dierdre Scozzafava 	R 	Oppose 	        $167,016.00 OK-5 	   Kevin Calvey 	R 	Support 	$160,163.00 PA-Senate  Pat Toomey 	        R 	Support 	$12,639.00 PA-Senate  Arlen Specter 	D 	Oppose 	        $159.00 SC-1 	   Tim Scott 	        R 	Support 	$54,233.00 SC-1 	   Paul Thurmond 	R 	Oppose 	        $52,327.00 SC-3 	   Jeff Duncan 	R 	Support 	$220,234.00 TN-3 	   Robin Smith 	R 	Support 	$51,865.00 TN-3 	   Charles Fleischmann R 	Oppose 	        $58,541.00 UT-Senate  Robert F. Bennett 	R 	Oppose 	        $186,309.00 WI-Senate  Ron Johnson 	R 	Support 	$12,162.00

====Club for Growth Action expenditures ====

Race          Candidate         Party Support/Oppose  Expenditures

CO-Senate 	Ken Buck          (R)  	Support  	$12,500.00 CO-Senate 	Michael F. Bennet (D) 	Oppose 	       $299,739.00 FL-Senate 	Marco Rubio      (R) 	Support 	$35,366.00 FL-Senate 	Kendrick B. Meek (D) 	Oppose  	$1,572.00 FL-Senate 	Charlie Crist    (I) 	Oppose  	$280,151.00 KY-Senate 	Rand Paul        (R) 	Support 	$12,500.00 NV-Senate 	Sharron E. Angle (R) 	Support 	$35,366.00 NV-Senate 	Harry Reid       (D) 	Oppose   	$211,894.00 PA-Senate 	Pat Toomey       (R) 	Support 	$15,626.00 PA-Senate 	Joe Sestak, Jr   (D)   Oppose 	        $770,317.00 WI-Senate 	Russ Feingold    (D) 	Oppose 	        $183,205.00 WI-Senate 	Ron Johnson      (R) 	Support 	$14,866.00

2005 FEC Lawsuit
In September 2005, the Federal Election Commission filed a lawsuit "against the Club for Growth, the first case of its kind to arise from high-dollar fundraising during the 2004 elections. The pro-Republican group spent at least $21 million in the 2003-2004 election cycle. ... The FEC contends the club spent enough in federal races to require it to file with the commission as a political committee and to follow contribution and spending limits. It wants the court to fine the group and order it to comply with campaign finance rules."

In September, 2007 the Club for Growth agreed to pay $350,000 in civil penalties and criticized the FEC for the lawsuit.

History and Background
Club for Growth was "founded in 1999 by Steve Moore, National Review president Dusty Rhodes, Cato Institute president Ed Crane, Richard Gilder, economist and CNBC Kudlow & Cramer co-host Larry Kudlow, and other like-minded pro-growth conservatives." (Stephen Moore is now at the Wall Street Journal, and former President Pat Toomey is now running for Senate in Pennsylvania).

According to Lobbyists.info, "The Club is primarily dedicated to helping elect pro-growth, pro-freedom candidates through political contributions and issue advocacy campaigns. Among the major economic growth issues the Club emphasizes are fundamental income tax reduction and simplification; school choice for all families; and personal investment of Social Security."

$2.4 million in campaign contributions from the Club for Growth helped elect 10 new Republicans to Congress in 2000. "The Club for Growth has grown six-fold since the 2000 election cycle and the Club and its members raised or donated over $10 million to help elect seventeen new Members of Congress in the 2002 election cycle." 

In the run up to the 2004 Democratic caucuses in Iowa, the PAC arm of Club for Growth ran advertisments attacking Presidential candidate Howard Dean. The advertisements characterized Howard Dean and his supporters as a "tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, body-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show."

Not even President George Walker Bush is immune from Club for Growth criticism. After Bush unveiled new programs costing billions of dollars in the 1/20/04 State of the Union Address, then Club president Stephen Moore criticized George Walker Bush as a "big government Republican." 

Longtime Republican benefactor Harlan Crow is a [former] member of the founders committee of the Club for Growth. 

"The group, which in the past has challenged moderate Republicans it considers big spenders, is running television spots targeting three GOP lawmakers who are undecided about private accounts: Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Rep. Joe Schwarz of Michigan and Rep. Sherwood Boehlert of New York," the Chronicle reports. "The Club also plans to hire a full-time lobbyist to promote the private account plan on Capitol Hill."

Board of Directors

 * Thomas L. Rhodes - Chair
 * Richard Gilder - Chairman emeritus
 * Ken Blackwell
 * Frayda Levin
 * Howard Rich
 * Jackson T. Stephens, Jr.
 * Chris Chocola

The group was formerly led by Pat Toomey.

Staff

 * Chris Chocola, President and CEO
 * Chuck Pike, Vice President
 * David Keating, Executive Director
 * Adam Rozansky, Chief Financial Officer (former Director of Operations)
 * Andrew Roth, Vice President, Director of Government Affairs
 * Erika Sather, Vice President, Development
 * Mike Connolly, Communications Director
 * Stacy French, Office Administrator
 * Maria Gullo, Senior Development Associate
 * Alyssa Bonk, Development Assistant

Former Staff
 * Patrick Toomey, President
 * Nachama Soloveichik, Communications Director
 * Stacie Smith, Development Assistant
 * Oliver Schwab, Membership Assistant

Leadership Council

 * Jean Belanger
 * Bruce Bent
 * Brent Bozell
 * Martin Boles
 * John Childs
 * Chris Chocola
 * Terry Considine
 * Dan Cook
 * Oliver R. Grace
 * Lawrence Kudlow
 * Virginia James
 * George Mitchell
 * Rex Sinquefield
 * Lee Tenzer
 * Louis Woodhill

Republican primaries
On September 14, Toomey sent out a club bulletin summing up its activities in the Republican primaries (subscription required :

"...the Club's PAC racked up 9 wins against just 4 losses. It's a record we're proud of, especially given that our endorsed candidates competed in races with nearly 50 major opponents. In most cases our candidate was the underdog, as in yesterday's Rhode Island race. The Washington Post reported yesterday that the Club's PAC "had an extremely successful run so far this cycle."

"And the Club's PAC scored its first-ever knockout of an incumbent when Tim Walberg defeated Rep. Joe Schwarz in the Michigan Republican primary. We accomplished something vitally important in Rhode Island despite the vote tally.

"Politicians are risk-adverse. Every Republican in Congress knows what we did in Rhode Island. They realize that Club members donated an incredible $725,000 to Chafee's challenger. They know that the Club for Growth PAC spent an additional $515,000, mostly on TV ads, and took a challenger from being down 2 to 1 in the polls to the edge of an upset. As senators cast their votes on key bills, wavering Republicans will have to wonder if they could withstand the same punishment.

"National Review yesterday wrote that Laffey's "loss was by no means an exercise in futility: Sometimes it's better to fight and lose than not to fight at all. Two years ago, Pat Toomey nearly defeated Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania's GOP primary. Yesterday, Laffey gave Chafee a genuine scare. Both Toomey and Laffey received crucial support from the Club for Growth [PAC]. Senators are a notoriously risk-averse crowd. And now, for the second election cycle in a row, Republican senators have received a sharp reminder that if they behave too much like liberals, they may not be senators for long."

The breakdown of club member support for the nine candidates according to the group's website was as follows:


 * Steve Laffey (RI)--no financial information listed.
 * Sharron Angle (NV)--"Club members contributed over $605,000..."
 * Tim Walberg (MICH)--won over the incumbent with over $600,000 in donations from club members
 * Doug Lamborn (CO)--won with over $200,000.
 * Kevin Calvey (OK)--came in fourth after over $249,000.
 * Phil Krinkie (MN)-- withdrew, as pledged, when he didn't receive the party's endorsement. Received over $154,000.
 * Jim Jordon (OH)--won and received over $92,000.
 * Henry Cueller (TX)--won and received over $170,000
 * John Campbell (CA)--won in 2005 and received over $118,000.

Contact Information
Club for Growth 2001 L Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Telephone: 202-955-5500 Fax: 202-955-9466 Website: http://www.clubforgrowth.org